dirtdirt /dɜːt $ dɜːrt/ ●●● S3 noun [uncountable] 
You should have seen the dirt on that car! His face and hands were black with dirt. a patch of grass, covered in dog dirt (=waste from a dog’s bowels)2 especially American English earth or soil: Michael threw his handful of dirt onto the coffin.in (the) dirt The children had been sitting in the dirt.3informal information about someone’s private life or activities which could give people a bad opinion of them if it became known: The newspapers had been digging up dirt on the president.4talk, writing, a film etc that is considered bad or immoral because it is about sex → dish the dirt at dish2, → hit/strike paydirt at paydirt, → hit the dirt at hit1(17), → treat somebody like dirt at treat1(1)COLLOCATIONSverbsremove the dirt (from something)· First, remove any dirt from the cut.brush off/wash off/clean off the dirt· Wash the dirt off those boots before you come in.something shows the dirt (=something looks dirty – used about colours)· Light-coloured clothes show the dirt rather quickly.adjectivesloose dirt (=that you can brush off easily)· Keep your pack clean by brushing off any loose dirt after use.ingrained dirt (=under the surface of something and difficult to clean off)· We had to wash the walls to remove the ingrained dirt.ground-in dirt (=difficult to remove because people have walked over something)· He had a lot of trouble getting rid of the ground-in dirt from the carpet.phrasesbe covered with dirt· The kitchen floor was covered with dirt.be black with dirt (=be very dirty)· Jack came in from the garden, his hands black with dirt.a speck of dirt (=a very small piece of dirt)· Their house was so clean – there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere.
WORD ORIGINdirt
Origin:
1200-1300 Old Norse dritEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He took off his glasses, which were covered with dirt.
- Put the seeds in the pot and cover them with dirt.
- She swept the dirt off the back porch.
- The floor was covered with dirt.
- The kids were playing in the yard, digging in the dirt.
- The rooms were cleaned until every speck of dirt and grit was gone.
- They live at the end of a dirt road.
- Why is there dirt all over the back seat of the car?
- A quick ride up a short but somewhat steep dirt road takes you to Mulholland Drive, known here as dirt Mulholland.
- He stabbed the brake, stabbed too hard, and his back wheels slurred in the dirt.
- Jack looked up and wiped a grubby hand wearily over his face, streaking the dirt still further.
- That way, enough bag was left to use as a flap to hold in the dirt.
- The film of steam combined with the patina of dirt on the glass made them almost opaque.
- The government was paying farmers fifteen cents a cubic yard to move dirt.
- The hose washed off something that was not dirt.
THESAURUS
the top layer of the earth that plants grow in: · Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.
the brown substance that the ground is made up of: · Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
American English loose dry earth: · a pile of loose dirt in the wheelbarrow
a dry powder made up of extremely small bits of earth or sand: · A cloud of dust billowed out behind the tractor.
wet soil that has become soft and sticky: · The dog came back covered in mud.
Longman Language Activatorvery cheap informal extremely cheap: · You can get beautiful leather jackets in the markets and they're dirt cheap.
British informal /be a steal American informal to be extremely cheap at a particular price: · She says her new outfit was a steal.· The new computer package is a snip at only £599 plus tax.
also at giveaway prices British if a shop is selling goods at rockbottom prices or at giveaway prices , it is selling them at extremely low prices -- used especially in advertisements: · Fox Hi-Fi specialize in selling top quality CD players at rockbottom prices.· In our summer sale, we have clothes from top designers at giveaway prices.
· You can pick up video recorders for very little money if you know where to look.
especially American very cheaply: · We got the car for nothing because the woman wanted to get rid of it fast.
to treat a person or animal in a cruel way · My father drank too much and was often very cruel to my mother.· It is unspeakably cruel to the prisoners to house them in such conditions.
to deliberately treat a person or animal in a cruel way, especially when you are responsible for looking after them: · It looks as though this dog has been mistreated by its owner.· Neighbours were sure that the young couple had been ill-treating their children.
to be cruel to someone who is weaker, younger, or has less authority than you: · A group of girls would bully the younger kids, and force them to give them money.· The court heard that the head of department would routinely bully and humiliate workers.
to treat someone in your family or someone you are responsible for in a cruel way, especially violently or sexually: · My father abused us for years.· Erica runs a hostel for women who have been abused by their husbands.sexually abuse (=force someone to take part in sexual activities): · Erik testified he was sexually abused by his father since the age of 6.
to be cruel to a person or group of people over a period of time, because of their race or their religious or political beliefs: · Countries all over Europe have persecuted gypsies for centuries.· Human rights advocates say racial minorities continue to be persecuted.
informal to treat someone as if they were completely worthless and not care about their feelings: · She treats him like dirt but he still loves her.· I wanted us to be friends again, but I wasn't prepared to be treated like dirt to achieve it.
informal to choose someone from a group to treat cruelly and unfairly especially by repeatedly criticizing them: · Bullies usually pick on younger children.· Why don't you pick on someone your own size?· Older members of staff often pick on an apprentice and make his life a misery.
also victimise British if a person or group is victimized , they are treated unfairly, for example because of their beliefs, their race, or because they are weak: · He wasn't happy at the school and said he was victimized because of his colour.· The company says she was not dismissed because of her political activities but she claims she was victimized.
something that makes things dirty dust, mud, or anything else that makes things dirty: · Why is there dirt all over the back seat of the car?· She swept the dirt off the back porch.· He took off his glasses, which were covered with dirt.speck of dirt (=small piece of dirt): · The rooms were cleaned until every speck of dirt and grit was gone.
dry powder that forms a layer on furniture, floors, clothes etc, especially when they have not been cleaned or moved for a long time: · Max brushed the dust off his coat.layer of dust: · There was a thick layer of dust on the furniture.
wet earth that sticks to your shoes, clothes, car, tyres etc: · There's mud all over the carpet.· Hayley scraped the dried mud off her boots.· Their expensive riding jackets were covered in mud.
the harmful effects on water, air, or land of chemicals and waste from factories, cars, modern farming methods etc: · Industrial pollution has killed much of the river's wildlife.· Pollution from cars is the main cause of global warming.· The convention, signed by the six states bordering the Black Sea, aims to reduce current pollution levels.
British informal dirt or mud: · I'll just clean the muck off the windscreen and wing mirrors.be covered in muck: · His hands and fingernails were filthy, his face and legs covered in muck.
thick, dark dirt that covers a surface over a period of time and is difficult to remove: · On one wall of the entryway hangs a large oil painting, covered with grime.· His hands were black with grime from working on the car.
the substance that forms the surface of the land the brown substance that the ground is made up of: · Outside, the sun beat down on the red baked earth of Provence.· Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
the earth that plants grow in: · Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.fertile soil (=soil that plants grow well in): · Parsley should have a deep, moist, fertile soil for ideal growth.
American loose dry earth: · The kids were playing in the yard, digging in the dirt.
WORD SETScultivable, adjectivedirt, nounearth, nounearthy, adjectivefallow, adjectivefertile, adjectivefertility, nounfertilizer, nounfurrow, nouninfertile, adjectiveirrigate, verblime, nounlime, verbloam, nounmanure, nounmud, nounmudbath, nounmuddy, adjectivemulch, nounmulch, verbpeat, nounplough, nounplough, verbsod, nounsoil, nounsubsoil, nountopdressing, nountopsoil, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs This coat was dirt cheap (=very cheap - an informal expression) The road leading to the farm was little more than a dirt track.
1any substance that makes things dirty, such as mud or dust: · First, remove any dirt from the cut.
· Wash the dirt off those boots before you come in.
(=something looks dirty – used about colours)· Light-coloured clothes show the dirt rather quickly.
adjectives (=that you can brush off easily)· Keep your pack clean by brushing off any loose dirt after use.
(=under the surface of something and difficult to clean off)· We had to wash the walls to remove the ingrained dirt.
(=difficult to remove because people have walked over something)· He had a lot of trouble getting rid of the ground-in dirt from the carpet.
phrases· The kitchen floor was covered with dirt.
(=be very dirty)· Jack came in from the garden, his hands black with dirt.
(=a very small piece of dirt)· Their house was so clean – there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES This coat was dirt cheap (=very cheap - an informal expression) (=tell people shocking things about someone’s private life)
American English informal (=extremely poor)· We were dirt poor back then.
The road leading to the farm was little more than a dirt track. informal (=very badly and with no respect)· He treated this wife like dirt.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Look for tiny specks of black dirt - these are the flea droppings.· I watched her hands come to the small of her back, kneading black dirt into a faded flower print.· His face and hands were black with dirt.
· Hamilton said, and she headed down a little dirt path.· Marines run it, so there is little dirt or laughter.
· She turned and looked up the narrow dirt road.
NOUN· She also writes her own motorcycle column, Purr, and loves riding dirt bikes.· Duhon enjoys speeding across the hard-packed sand on his dirt bike, almost challenging the dry lake to best him.· He rode an old dirt bike and mumbled when he talked.
· Cartons of medical supplies were stacked on the dirt floor.· He pulled the doors back, stepped inside, swung the flashlight across the dirt floor.· Inside I would sit on the dirt floor smoking cigarettes stolen from the drawing room.· The Human Body dropped from his hands, snapped open, and the innards scattered all over the dirt floor.· Where the water dripped on to my dirt floor, I scraped a trench with my pocket knife to let it drain out.· Colonels and privates hit the dirt floor as one!· He squatted down, brushed a hand across the dirt floor, and put the hand to his nose.· This was fine compared to the moldy tents and dirt floors at tent city.
· Bancoult's own home is down a dirt path past corrugated shacks that overspill with children.· Hamilton said, and she headed down a little dirt path.· The dirt path she was on was flanked on the left by a steep bank.· The dirt paths between the house and the other buildings were foaming brown streams.· A hard dirt path leads into the village past a cluster of small bamboo huts.
· After that it's a dirt road, but fairly new.· We were a mile down a dirt road.· Southern species often sit in dirt roads or sandy tracks and appear in car headlights.· We were bumping along a dirt road when a storm gathered dark clouds above us.· Laidlaw drove past it and pulled up at the end of the dirt road.· Every now and then a car rumbled over the bumpy dirt road, leaving behind a whirl of white dust.· Narrow dirt roads connect the farms to the wider dirt road which links North Chittendon with Montpelier and Barre.
· I wandered out of Uncle's house and on to the dirt streets.· Old men and women lined the dirt street and cheered as her wagon passed by.· Heavy rains flooded the dirt streets of Gaza.
· He ran through the gate, down the lane and across to the dirt track faster and faster, leaping and jumping.· We follow the dirt track that meanders with it.· They turned into a dirt track flanked by very young gum trees.· In the morning, we motored along dirt tracks to the deserted ruins of Dainzu and Mitla.· During the monsoon, the dirt track which connects McLeod Ganj with Dharamsala lower down the valley turns into sludge.· Devshi bhai took his group along a dirt track to our left.· The private dirt track led directly to it.· We cycled into the small village of Noul Roman along a dirt track.
VERB· His face was covered in dirt and he grinned at us in a rather frightened way.· When the service was over they would cover the coffin with dirt.· Her skin was covered with dirt, but it didn't hide its quality.· Oh, he was covered in dirt and spoke like an actor reciting his lines but he made one mistake.
· He looks for freshly dug dirt, or tracks.· That was all part of the job - dig the dirt and then turn it into pure gold.· If you want to dig the dirt your best hope is old Gooseneck, especially if he finds you attractive.· Just imagine him saying that to a reporter trying to dig up more dirt ... trying to stir it up a bit.· The jeep dug dirt as it leapt forward.
· The People was the most assiduous in digging the dirt.· Kenny stabbed the toe of his shoe into the layer of pine needles, digging for the dirt beneath.· In politics, as in life, truth hurts.Better to keep mum. Digging up dirt is the media's job.· They felt like giants of desire, pleased happy monsters digging into pay dirt.· If he was a journalist intent on digging up some ancient dirt, he'd come up empty-handed.
· This made Fearnley very defensive about his own business, and usually happy to dish the dirt about his aggressive competitor.· I dish the dirt for half an hour and then leave him.· He is often hired to inform Fleet Street about client views or, less charitably, to dish the dirt on opponents.· A woman with a noble title is not supposed to dish royal dirt.· They're the ones who'd love to dish the dirt.
· Nolan Ryan sent Dave Winfield sprawling to eat dirt.· We could eat all the sacred dirt on earth, but still those who loved to make war would make war.· The real losers will, for all I know, eat dirt.
· Our first instinct was to hit the dirt.· Right now these three boys had hit pay dirt without even knowing the term.· Colonels and privates hit the dirt floor as one!· I hit the dirt and lay there panting.· Another few rounds hit the dirt in front of us.· The grunt leader stood up for a second and then hit the dirt.· Cod, I had really hit pay dirt.
· A hard dirt path leads into the village past a cluster of small bamboo huts.
· Fabric boots should be scrubbed with clean water to remove the dirt and allowed to dry naturally.· Rinse collard greens thoroughly in lukewarm water, repeating, if necessary, to remove all dirt and grit.· Eventually a more thorough cleaning will remove any dirt and later retouching.· Rory sucked at the tiny wound and spat, trying to remove any dirt.· Washing white is a longer process of removing the dirt and stains.· Whilst regular vacuuming removes surface dirt, crumbs and dust, it can't get rid of the ground dirt.· If necessary, wash it gently in some warm soapy water to remove dirt and food particles. 2.· Before applying paint to the door, lightly clean the surface with white spirit to remove any dirt or grease.
· He just goes around there to rub dirt in their wounds.
· A little while later, still holding Maura in his arms, Michael threw his handful of dirt on to the coffin.· With pans we threw out the dirt ... Dried meat would be handed round.· With the sentries jeering and the kitchen girls free to throw dirt, glad to see her fallen?· Tyres had thrown the dirt into parallel ridges, knee-high on either side.
· No more contract flying, being treated like dirt by all the owner-drivers.· For all I know they treated their women like dirt.· For years I allowed him to treat me like dirt.· You saw how they treated you, like dirt.· He's emperor of a hugely wealthy Aztec mountain kingdom and can afford to treat people like dirt.· You may well be upset, but you're not going to get away with treating me like dirt.
You should have seen the dirt on that car! His face and hands were black with dirt. a patch of grass, covered in dog dirt (=waste from a dog’s bowels)2 especially American English earth or soil: Michael threw his handful of dirt onto the coffin.in (the) dirt The children had been sitting in the dirt.3informal information about someone’s private life or activities which could give people a bad opinion of them if it became known: The newspapers had been digging up dirt on the president.4talk, writing, a film etc that is considered bad or immoral because it is about sex → dish the dirt at dish2, → hit/strike paydirt at paydirt, → hit the dirt at hit1(17), → treat somebody like dirt at treat1(1)COLLOCATIONSverbsremove the dirt (from something)· First, remove any dirt from the cut.brush off/wash off/clean off the dirt· Wash the dirt off those boots before you come in.something shows the dirt (=something looks dirty – used about colours)· Light-coloured clothes show the dirt rather quickly.adjectivesloose dirt (=that you can brush off easily)· Keep your pack clean by brushing off any loose dirt after use.ingrained dirt (=under the surface of something and difficult to clean off)· We had to wash the walls to remove the ingrained dirt.ground-in dirt (=difficult to remove because people have walked over something)· He had a lot of trouble getting rid of the ground-in dirt from the carpet.phrasesbe covered with dirt· The kitchen floor was covered with dirt.be black with dirt (=be very dirty)· Jack came in from the garden, his hands black with dirt.a speck of dirt (=a very small piece of dirt)· Their house was so clean – there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere.